Hi! I'm new here and I wanted to share this and see if I can get some advice. My cat Micaud is crazy I think. Just last night my hubby, daughter, dog and I were sitting on my bed. Micaud was sleeping on his pet condo. Suddenly my hubby who was playing with the dog dropped her to the floor and my daughter screamed. The next thing I see is the cat jump over all of us attacked the dog, my hubby pushed him and the cat attacked him, then went after the dog again. he got to the dog who is smaller than he and wrapped himself around her scratching and biting her. I had to pry him away and dropped him on the floor. He then came at me and bit my thumb. I pushed him away while I held the dog in my arms. It took us 3 to push him out of my bedroom!! he was meowing really loud and weirdly!

I finally got the door closed and looked around and it looked like a war zone. we were all bleeding!!! the cat bit my hubby's finger right through the nail, he scratched my daughter and bit her thumb and I was bleeding from a bite to my right thumb as well. I looked at the dog and one of her ears was scratched and bleeding and he got her really close to an eye.

I was so scared!! he's gone crazy like that before but no so bad like this. he cat was always after my daughter and the dog but never after me or my hubby.I've had to take my daughter to the doctor with bites and lie to the doctor that the cat is not mine. I'm not one to take the animal to the shelter and abandon him there but I think this one cat is going to make me do this. It's getting crazy!

We have gotten home many times to find the dog badly scratched and bleeding. I had the dog first and it's not fair to her either or to my poor little girl who is scarred from this cat.

Micaud is not fixed, he is getting fixed on Tuesday though. We rescued him from the street where we found him meowing by a garbage can. He was probably a month old. I never thought to get him fixed cause he's an indoor cat and we live on the third floor. What a mistake I made! he sprays all the time and hates my dog.

Could his extreme agression be because he's not fixed? Why does he attack when we laugh loud or scream?

So what have you done to help your cat? Have you taken him to the vet for a complete checkup; including blood work and urinalysis/fecal? Have you tried separating him from the dog and doing a gradual reintroduction? Have you used pheromones to try to calm him? Have you tried Feliway diffusers? Do you pay as much attention to him as you do your dog? How old is he? Has he ever been wormed? What kind of dog do you have and how old is it? Has the cat ever had his shots?
Yes, it may help to have him fixed. It may take a while for the testosterone to abate but I have seen some remarkable changes to some of mine after being neutered. You will need to give your apartment a head to toe cleaning in order to get rid of all of the smells of him spraying. You can clean with a regular cleaner and then use a mix of 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 cup water and spray it very liberally in the spots where he has sprayed.
What he is doing is called redirected aggression. He, for some reason, does not like your dog. The dog is his target. If you take the target away during an altercation then the cat will redirect to you, your husband and your daughter. He needs to be completely separated in a small room to calm down. This is not his fault. Something has set him off.
What are the dynamics like in your home? Have you ever purposely let the cat and dog fight, maybe when the cat was a kitten, and thought it was cute and laughed?
There are so many many variables that could be in play here. Without knowing his whole history and seeing what goes on in your household it is difficult to know. What I would start with is a complete checkup and, of course, his neuter.

Get him neutered first of all, and after doing some rehab with him as 14+K suggested, if after a couple of months there is no improvement, I think for everyone's safety and sanity he should be euthanized, as he is a danger. I usually don't recommend this, but there are some cases where it should be done. This may be one of them.

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"We humans are indeed fortunate if we happen to be chosen to be owned by a cat." -- Anonymous

Get him neutered first of all, and after doing some rehab with him as 14+K suggested, if after a couple of months there is no improvement, I think for everyone's safety and sanity he should be euthanized, as he is a danger. I usually don't recommend this, but there are some cases where it should be done. This may be one of them.

How can you suggest that? We can not give suggestions like that without knowing the cat and watching the cat for some time and without having extensive testing done to the cat. It is quite possible the cat just needs to be in a home where he is an only pet. To tell someone to euthanize their cat is never a good idea IMO. We are not vets and do not know this cat!!! There are many many ways of helping this cat. Euthanization is not one of them IMO! Much better to try and rehome to a one pet home.

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Assumptions do nothing but make an ass out of u and me.

We can stick our heads in the sand for only so long before it starts choking us. Face it folks. The pet population is bad ALL OVER THE WORLD!

Did something startle him awake to make him attack? It almost seems like he had redirected aggression as 14+ stated, which normally occurs when a cat will see another cat outside and can't get out to fight so it attacks the closest thing, human or animal. One of our senior members has a cat with this and uses Feliway which I believe works for her.

First step is neutering to get rid of the hormones, and hopefully bloodwork will precede the operation. You many want to add a urinalysis to check glucose levels.

I don't believe that cats feel jealousy and take it out on what they are jealous over, I just don't think that is in their psychological makeup. They are not humans.

What blood work and other testing did your vet do? Can you post the results? So your cat is 3 years old and he is not neutered? And they sort of got along in the beginning? Was Micaud a kitten when they were introduced? Has Spin played too rough with Micaud? Chased him?

Hopefully the neutering will help out , hormones can cause many problems as they can in humans. In the meantime, perhaps some Feliway can help calm Micaud . As 14+ stated, it can take some time to for the hormones to be out of his system.

I have taken Micaud to the vet and the doc said he is a healthy cat. Of course I love him very much and I pet him and treat him as I treat my dog. But my concern is for my daughter.

We've had Micaud for 3 years now and in the beginning he used to get along with the dog. Not best buddies but they stayed away from each other. Now the fights are everyday and they get really bad.

Spin can't pass if Micaud is in the way and vice versa. I really think he;s jealous of the dog. But you all know dogs they're mushy beings that love to get scratched and petted.

I really don't know what to think anymore.

Then my suggestion remains the same. Separate them. He is getting neutered you say tomorrow? Perfect time to do it. Keep them separate in different rooms, even if the only room available is a bathroom. Read the site I gave you earlier. Try doing that. If he got along with the dog in the beginning then I would think something happened to set him off. It should have been corrected at that point. I know the dog is not 100% blameless. Maybe he attacked the cat sometime when you weren't home and that is what started it all. Maybe the cat saw another cat and, because he wasn't able to get to the cat, he went after the dog. Hindsight is 20/20 they say. You can't do anything to change it. However, you can start now to correct it. IF things don't change then please try to rehome him in a home where he will be an only pet.
Feel free to ask questions along the way. We are here to help. The important thing now is to separate them. Do not let them see each other. But please make sure you are still spending quality time with Micaud. He deserves to know you still love him.

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Assumptions do nothing but make an ass out of u and me.

We can stick our heads in the sand for only so long before it starts choking us. Face it folks. The pet population is bad ALL OVER THE WORLD!

If he got along with the dog in the beginning then I would think something happened to set him off. It should have been corrected at that point. I know the dog is not 100% blameless.

Absolutely. You never know what could have happened.

How often are you feeding Micaud? Is he overweight? Has he had his glucose levels checked? The reason I ask is that Sweet Pea will attack Rose if she is hungry, fur fluffed and all. Rose doesn't have to do anything.

[I]"...he's gone crazy like that before but no so bad like this. he cat was always after my daughter and the dog but never after me or my hubby.I've had to take my daughter to the doctor with bites and lie to the doctor that the cat is not mine."[/I]

"We have gotten home many times to find the dog badly scratched and bleeding."

"we found him meowing by a garbage can. He was probably a month old."

"Why does he attack when we laugh loud or scream?"

Look at the facts! This is a cat that was likely never socialized well since he was found at such an early age and has never learned bite inhibition. This is a cat who already has an established pattern of aggression, who even if someone laughs too loud or a child screams is going to attack. To me that's sound like a "psycho" cat. I was not suggesting that he should be euthanized immediately as you imply. Neutering was the first thing that should be done to this cat, then to see if behaviour can be modified over next few months after that. If his pattern of aggressive behaviour and trigger action to loud laughs and screams continues, and he continues to go after the dog and her daughter, as well as her husband and herself then she should consider having him put down. Why should this cat be rehomed and foisted on someone else if it is proven untrustworthy and dangerous? To me this would be unconscionable. As much as I love cats, people's safety and wellbeing should be considered first. I sincerely hope that neutering will drastically alter this cat's behaviour, but it may not.

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"We humans are indeed fortunate if we happen to be chosen to be owned by a cat." -- Anonymous

Yes, when Micaud was a tiny kitten he and the dog used to chase each other and like someone said it was funny. I did leave them in separate rooms for a while but then we moved to a rail road apartment and I felt so bad leaving him in the tiny bathroom.

So I let them roam freely in the apartment. Then after a while, everytime Spin passed by Micaud he would hiss at her and she would run away. i would get in and say stop and walk away. then one day I came home and the dog came to the door with her eyes swollen and blood on her head. I freaked out and locked him in the bathroom while I healed her. I took her to the vet and the doc said they were cat scratches. This has happened 3 more times after that! Then the incident from the other night.

I love this little guy, he is so cute and loving when he's not freaking out. I put a pic of him in my profile. I am going to do everything I can for him. He'll get neutered tomorrow and hopefully everything will get better. I'm unemployed now and can't afford too many vet visits cause they are pricey. The neutering is free through the ASPCA.

Thanks everyone for all the advice! One thing though I had to put down my gorgeous Joey 4 years ago. he was really sick and that was the hardest thing I had to do. I cried all the way home after I dropped him off. he was so special. I will treat Micaud the same way, he deserves our love and patience. Just not in the same room anymore. LOL

[I]"...he's gone crazy like that before but no so bad like this. he cat was always after my daughter and the dog but never after me or my hubby.I've had to take my daughter to the doctor with bites and lie to the doctor that the cat is not mine."[/I]

"We have gotten home many times to find the dog badly scratched and bleeding."

"we found him meowing by a garbage can. He was probably a month old."

"Why does he attack when we laugh loud or scream?"

Look at the facts! This is a cat that was likely never socialized well since he was found at such an early age and has never learned bite inhibition. This is a cat who already has an established pattern of aggression, who even if someone laughs too loud or a child screams is going to attack. To me that's sound like a "psycho" cat. I was not suggesting that he should be euthanized immediately as you imply. Neutering was the first thing that should be done to this cat, then to see if behaviour can be modified over next few months after that. If his pattern of aggressive behaviour and trigger action to loud laughs and screams continues, and he continues to go after the dog and her daughter, as well as her husband and herself then she should consider having him put down. Why should this cat be rehomed and foisted on someone else if it is proven untrustworthy and dangerous? To me this would be unconscionable. As much as I love cats, people's safety and wellbeing should be considered first. I sincerely hope that neutering will drastically alter this cat's behaviour, but it may not.

It is not our job on Pets to tell people to kill their pets. If you would like to discuss more on this please lets do it through PMs, not in open forum. I do not believe this is all one sided on the cat's side. I believe there is something deeper here. We do not know the whole history and can not make decisions like that based on one post. I believe once the cat is fixed and if an effort is made to introduce the cat and dog in the proper way, with intervention if there is any sign of a fight, then eventually this story can have a happy ending. No one said owning pets was always a bed of roses. Occasionally we have to work to fix something in order to make the situation work.

I must say this sounds all too familiar to me. I sincerely hope it does not end up the same way as a thread about a year and a half ago went. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the advice given was the same. Mmm, makes you think..........

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Assumptions do nothing but make an ass out of u and me.

We can stick our heads in the sand for only so long before it starts choking us. Face it folks. The pet population is bad ALL OVER THE WORLD!

It is not our job on Pets to tell people to kill their pets. If you would like to discuss more on this please lets do it through PMs, not in open forum. I do not believe this is all one sided on the cat's side. I believe there is something deeper here. We do not know the whole history and can not make decisions like that based on one post. I believe once the cat is fixed and if an effort is made to introduce the cat and dog in the proper way, with intervention if there is any sign of a fight, then eventually this story can have a happy ending. No one said owning pets was always a bed of roses. Occasionally we have to work to fix something in order to make the situation work.

I must say this sounds all too familiar to me. I sincerely hope it does not end up the same way as a thread about a year and a half ago went. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the advice given was the same. Mmm, makes you think..........

I could not agree with this more. If once the cat is neutered, and a genuine effort is made to try to remedy the situation, and a complete and thorough vet check is completed to rule out any health issues, and his behaviour shows zero sign of improvement, he should be re-homed. catlover2, this cat may be totally different in a new home. He may not, but I think he deserves that opportunity. If he is PTS, this cat has no chance whatsoever.

Unfortunately, our fur friends do not come perfect, and sometimes it can take a lot of patience, time, and energy to make it work. But, we choose these animals, they do not choose us, and we owe it to them to try everything we can. It's not always easy.

This situation really disturbs me. Deeve, if you are at the point of even considering euthanizing this cat, please PM me first. This whole scenario really upsets me, and I can not stand to see this cat PTS. I hope it doesn't come to this, but I work with a humane society in Lethbridge, and would happily work with you to arrange transport etc. to get that cat here somehow and find a loving home for him. If that can't be done, I'm sure many of us at Pets here can find a way to put you in touch with a local rescue group that can help you.

"Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama

It is not our job on Pets to tell people to kill their pets. If you would like to discuss more on this please lets do it through PMs, not in open forum. I do not believe this is all one sided on the cat's side. I believe there is something deeper here. We do not know the whole history and can not make decisions like that based on one post. I believe once the cat is fixed and if an effort is made to introduce the cat and dog in the proper way, with intervention if there is any sign of a fight, then eventually this story can have a happy ending. No one said owning pets was always a bed of roses. Occasionally we have to work to fix something in order to make the situation work.

I must say this sounds all too familiar to me. I sincerely hope it does not end up the same way as a thread about a year and a half ago went. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the advice given was the same. Mmm, makes you think..........

Exactly, we don't know the history and I believe the early interactions between Spin and Micaud have fueled this current behaviour. This cat may be totally different in a home with no other pet. If indeed Spin was teasing Micaud, then MIcaud has learned to fight back to protect himself. I am hoping the removal of testosterone will help calm Micaud, but I also think some Feliway should be tried.

Is it today Micaud is going in to be neutered?? Good luck!

The other thing I was thinking is that there may be another unaltered cat outside or a female in heat that may be making him more aggressive. It is too bad your vet had not talked to you about neutered @ six months , neutered males do make better pets.

The other thing I was thinking is that there may be another unaltered cat outside or a female in heat that may be making him more aggressive. It is too bad your vet had not talked to you about neutered @ six months , neutered males do make better pets.

Deeve said she lived on the third floor of an apartment so that is probably unlikely unless there has been cats wandering the halls of the apartment. That's a possibility.
Cats are ferocious fighters. It wouldn't matter who "started the fight". It would always be the dog who looked like he got the worse of it. Dogs generally just bite. Cats use teeth and nails. I wonder if the kitty has ever been checked over for puncture wounds from the pup?

Deeve - L4H has mentioned Feliway a couple of times. It works as a calming agent for cats. It is readily available in the States. You can get it as a plug in or as a spray. In your case it may be better to get it as both. The spray acts quickly and can be given when you notice Micaud starting to get agitated. You spray a small amount on his collar or near his chin. Not directly on him though. It would probably go a long way, along with the neutering, to make him a calmer kitty. http://www.feliway.com/gb

Micaud - good luck today.

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Assumptions do nothing but make an ass out of u and me.

We can stick our heads in the sand for only so long before it starts choking us. Face it folks. The pet population is bad ALL OVER THE WORLD!

Deeve said she lived on the third floor of an apartment so that is probably unlikely unless there has been cats wandering the halls of the apartment.

With the windows open, male cats can smell female cats in heat for quite a distance (I heard 5km, but have never verified if this is indeed correct), or could be one in the apt close to her Who knows, just a thought I had.

I can always tell when there has been a male cat around. Jasper gets antsy and he is neutered.

So Micaud didn't get neutered today. There were so many people and I made number 35 and they only take 25 a day. I was given number 10 for the next site and that is on 8/22. I will be there!!

One thing though I found out today since I'm watching him more closely. I let him go to the fire escape where I have plants. he roams around but never goes dowm to the yard. But on the roof top below my building there was a kitty!! Micaud was staring at it and I thought he would come in and be agressive. So I stepped away and put the dog and my daughter in the bedroom. I went back to the window and Micaud just looked at me and laid down on the fire escape and closed his eyes. No agression! he came in drank water and went to his pet condo.

Deeve,I hope you find a solution for Micaud,I used the Feli-Way plug in and it certainly help with the spraying-problem.
At first when you said,your husband suddenly put the dog down,I thought the cat was startled and turned on the dog,cats can do crazy things if they are suddenly startled.
But then I read on and it was not the first time.
Is Spin also an un-neutered male?? Maybe that has something to do with it,if he isor is Spin a female?

deeve, you're on the right path.
observation and close attention will let you pinpoint what is the set-off for Micaud is. maybe he gets startled? if he is sleeping and suddenly someone screams or yelps..?
the cat on the roof, could it have come to visit your stairway? then it would have set off your kitty, as theres an intruder on his territory..
also, I am worried that Micaud could one day take off and go exploring, up or down... or chase the other kitty... be careful about that! is he leashed when outside? if yes, another concern to make sure he doesnt hang himself on it..like if a bird lands on the railing and he jumps for it, that sort of thing.
Good luck for the 22nd, I hope he gets snipped then!

Another little thing : I have a 3 month old kitten, she plays rough with the dog. I always watch them and as soon as she gets too much into it - I separate them. Sometimes she is so much into it she redirects to me, starts scratching and biting. I lift her by the back of her neck and dont allow her to do that, but once or twice she was so agitated I had to put her in her room (bathroom) for 15 minutes cool-off time. I noticed a change though, it works, when I say "no biting, gently!" now, she lets go of the dog and backs off. Now, she is 3 months old, imagine when she's fully grown? she will be fully capable of drawing blood so easily!
I really hope its just a hormonal thing, but you need to keep the puppy and the kitty apart for now. then, reintroduce them with supervision.
Good luck!!!

Sounds like it is something that is setting Micaud off. Who knows what he was dreaming about when he awoke . The previous incidents with Spin could have been because Micaud was startled in his sleep . As others have suggested, I would keep Spin and MIcaud separated as much as possible and if you can, get some feliway.

With the windows open, male cats can smell female cats in heat for quite a distance (I heard 5km, but have never verified if this is indeed correct), or could be one in the apt close to her Who knows, just a thought I had.

I can always tell when there has been a male cat around. Jasper gets antsy and he is neutered.

You are quite right L4! I must have been having a huge brain fart when I typed that! I apologize! And it is a distinct possibility that is exactly what happened too.
Deeves - I didn't realize that the kitty got out on the landing. If that is the case it could be a simple matter of sensory overload. He gets worked up, even though it may not seem that way to you, and comes back inside. The aggression needs to go somewhere so it does - to Spin, your daughter, hubby and you. I still believe you need to separate them for a while but maybe part of the solution could be keeping Micaud indoors for a while. See what happens.

I am so sorry Micaud didn't get fixed today. But the 22nd isn't too far away. I'm sure things will get better.

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Assumptions do nothing but make an ass out of u and me.

We can stick our heads in the sand for only so long before it starts choking us. Face it folks. The pet population is bad ALL OVER THE WORLD!

I got Feliway from my local Pet store and gave Micaud some and he liked it.

Are you sure you have the right product? Feliway comes in either a room diffuser that you plug into the wall, or a spray bottle so you can apply the pheromones directly to an object. Maybe I'm not reading it right, but it sounds like you gave it to him orally?

Oh sorry. My stuff says Quiet Moments is not Feliway. The store mgr at Petland said it was good to calm Micaud down long enough to put him in the carrier. I did order the Feliway room spray from Amazon.

Deeve,I am glad things are going a bit better,even if he is not yet his cuddly self,it could be that the"Quiet Moment"is affecting him this way,I have never heard of it myself.
Micaud looks adorable with his darkish little nose
Hopefully everything will be calm from now on